One poem is currently causing controversy on the internet, entitled 'Why I hate religion but love Jesus' it has gone viral in the past week and attracted both praise and criticism from Christians and non-christians alike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1IAhDGYlpqY
The video condemns religion as man-made activity that imposes rules and regulations to make people feel guilty, and focusing on what we can do to draw closer to God and building churches for the people we like rather than being in the world to reach the people Jesus loves. It's true Jesus didn't speak favourably of the Jewish religious leaders - they were self-righteous and missed the very saviour they had been waiting for. And today Jesus is still not looking for self-righteous, perfect people - no he is looking for sinners who are open to his grace and transformation. The only things that ever impressed Jesus were faith and hearts sold out for him. Your best efforts will never come close enough to earn your salvation.
But can you cut religion out and still have Jesus? In my opinion, this perhaps boils down to how you define religion. Like many words (awful, cool, and random for example) religion has changed it's meaning within certain contexts. Religion meaning belonging to a group of people with shared beliefs is quite different from self-made religion which acts as a substitute for faith.
Below is a critical review of the poem and that knowing Jesus doesn't exclude religion, I don't think I agree with everything the author puts forward but it's worth a read and he certainly makes some good points.
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/01/13/does-jesus-hate-religion-kinda-sorta-not-really/?comments#comments
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/01/14/following-up-on-the-jesusreligion-video/
A relationship with Jesus should result in a lifestyle change, you can live how you choose but surely living God's way is going to be best? You don't have to go to church and that certainly isn't what makes you a Christian - but why wouldn't you? You don't have to pray but if we could only grasp how powerful prayer is, and understand that God not only delights in listening but also has something to say to us personally then we would surely commit hours of each day to spending time in his presence. You don't have to read the Bible, but it will build your faith so why not? If this is religion - then I guess I'm religious! But it comes first from Jesus - and if he get cuts out then it's just a waste of time. I thought the poem was a great piece of art, a message challenging the world, on what religion can become and expressing what Jesus really stood for. It challenged me - what do I do because I think it will make me look good to other Christians? Are there times where my attitude is driven solely from religious perspectives? How closely does my life match up with that of Jesus?
